Home
miy Decor
miy Garden
miy Fall
miy Halloween
miy Christmas
miy Special Holidays
miy Kid's Crafts
miy Teens
miy Faux-finish
miy Wall Art
miy Photo Gallery
miy Magazine
miy Spirit
about miy creations
Contact miy
miy Links
Miy Creations Blog
 

"Enchanted Mushroom Garden Ornament"

Make Magical Mushrooms to enchant your garden


Fairies, gnomes and mystical creatures are popular garden trends this summer. To harmonize any whimsical garden theme, add an ornamental mushroom made with stepping-stone mixture.

Miy Project creation and photo by: Madeleine M Langlois


Miy Project: Enchanting Garden Ornament; Cement Mushroom
Skill: Easy.
Hands-on time: About one hour.

Materials & Tools:
•Newspapers
•Large plastic bowl as a mold for the mushroom cap (12 inch top circumference, 5 inches deep) and a plastic pail, the type children use to play in the sand, to make the mushroom stem (6 inch top circumference, 8 inches high), both available at dollar stores
•Leaves in assorted sizes and styles. Choose leaves with a lot of texture (gather on a nature walk or from backyard)
•Spray adhesive
•Large flat glass nuggets and marbles
•Masking tape
•Stepping-stone cement mix, two 7-pound boxes
•Dust mask and gloves
•Bucket or disposable container
•Old spatula and a large spoon
•Water and measuring cup: 2 cups of water are needed for each 7-pound mixture
•Damp cloth or an old towel
•Plastic wrap

Materials are available at arts and crafts stores or online.

Miy INSTRUCTIONS:For a natural textural interest, leaves are used to line the containers used as molds. Shimmering jewel-like glass beads garnish the structure.

Cover your work area with newspaper. In a well-ventilated space, lightly spray the front of the leaves with adhesive, and lay them inside the bowl and the pail. Place each leaf one at a time, pressing them into place to fully line the bottom and the sides of the plastic containers. Lining the containers with leaves will make it easier to release the shapes from their molds.

Place a few large glass beads face down at the bottom of the bowl, creating a design of your choice. Smaller beads are placed at the sides of the bowl and pail, using small folded pieces of tape to secure them.

Wearing a dust mask and protective gloves, make the stepping-stone mix according to manufacturer's instructions in a bucket, add the necessary amounts of water and mix. To make the mushroom stem, gently fill the beach pail with the mixture, one big spoonful at a time, pushing and pressing it down with a spatula or your hand to avoid any air pockets. Repeat until the pail is almost full, and then smooth out the surface.

To make the mushroom cap, fill the bowl as above. Once the bowl is three-quarters full, smooth the surface, place the cement-filled pail in the centre of the bowl and press it down into the mixture about 2 inch deep. This will create a depression in the mushroom cap that will rest on the stem. Use a damp cloth to smooth out the surface around the pail. Leave the pail in place for at least two to three hours to imbed the depression.

Cover the pail and bowl with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture to allow the cement to dry slowly. After two days, uncover and gently turn over the shapes to remove them from the molds.

Remove the leaves around the shapes. Use a damp cloth if needed. Remove any tape to reveal the beads, and with a damp cloth smooth the entire surface to remove any residue.

Place the shapes onto a flat surface and re-cover them with a damp cloth or towel for at least five more days. Leave the structure at least two weeks to completely cure before placing them outdoors. The curing process needs a long time to avoid cracks.

Find a spot in your garden to place your mushroom creation, then position the stem securely and place the cap on the stem.

Once the mixture is fully cured, your creation can be painted with outdoor acrylics or ceramic paints.

This site has creative ways to decorate! Are you looking for creative ways touse spare wood? What about making a usable palletrack? Everyone knows how easy palletracks can make storageand moving! So if you are planning onshipping, storing your products on a pallet rack like a cantileverrack, or just looking to put some left over wood to great use, visit this website,MWF Rack MFG! The one stop shop for all of your pallet rack needs!

Next Miy Page

Thank you for visiting Miy Creations.
New Miy articles are being posted regularly.

No portion of this article or any articles on the MIY Creations site are to be copied or published without permission. Thank you, Maddylane Designs.

Miy Index Miy Books Miy Magazine Miy Downloads Miy Newsletter
Contact Miy Miy Photo Gallery Miy Décor blog Miy Services
Miy Store



Miy Photo Books & Custom Wall Art Services by MaddyLane



Copyrights 2008, all rights reserved by Miy Creations/Maddylane Designs